Chapter 92
Chen Qing had been working in the medicinal herb field for half a month and had already adapted to the work rhythm. His back ached for three or four days, but he got used to it. The happiest time for him was when he finished work each day. Looking at the copper coins in his hand, he felt that life was becoming more and more hopeful.
While working, Chen Qing noticed that many people were slacking off. At first, Chen Qing didn't understand why, but after listening to their quiet chatter, he learned their reasoning: if the progress was slower, they could work for a day or two longer and earn more money.
While working, Chen Qing was also thinking about whether this approach was right or wrong, but he never slowed down his work and continued to do what he was supposed to do.
Perhaps seeing his quick and efficient work, the supervisor transferred him to the nearby medicinal herb field, where sandy ginseng was grown. This herb can replenish qi and blood, and is especially suitable for the elderly to strengthen their bodies.
Chen Qing kept his eyes straight ahead and worked as before, except that people leaving this medicinal field would be searched, since the medicinal herbs here were valuable.
Chen Qing didn't care. He always worked honestly and cleanly, so he wasn't worried about finding anything. He also believed that with such strict guarding, no one would take the risk.
Because of this year's good harvest of medicinal herbs, or perhaps because others' quiet, slack work has yielded results, a month has passed and the work is still not finished, so they have to work for another ten days.
But just one day before the project was to be completed, someone was found to have stolen medicine when they went out.
The officials didn't lift a finger, nor did they say much more; they simply took the man to the yamen, leaving the rest of the people to gossip amongst themselves.
Chen Qing had been eavesdropping on their conversations lately and heard that the family's son had somehow become addicted to gambling and had lost all the family's savings. The man had no choice but to steal some medicinal herbs to sell. He had heard that this wasn't the first time he had stolen herbs, but he had been caught this time.
When Chen Qing returned home, he told his grandmother about it. His grandmother told him that he must not be greedy for small gains: "Although our family is poor, we must not lose our ambition."
Chen Qing nodded obediently: "I won't."
He worked in the medicinal herb field for forty days and earned four hundred coins, which was the most money Chen Qing had ever earned in his life.
On his way back, he had already planned how to spend the money. First, he would buy some lard, since the lard jar was already empty. Then he would buy some meat, since he was lucky to have some oil in his lunch, but his grandmother hadn't eaten meat in a long time. He would also buy some grain, so that they wouldn't go hungry by the end of the year. As for buying his grandmother new clothes this year, he would wait until he earned more money.
It was already mid-April, and the weather was quite warm. The wind was no longer so biting. Chen Qing helped his grandmother get dressed and supported her as she headed towards town. Chen Qing had over four hundred coins in his pocket, packed in a heavy purse given to him by his grandmother.
Another reason they went to town was to check the post station for any letters and money Zhou Yuan had sent back. Usually, these would arrive in March, and someone would come to the village entrance to announce the news, but they hadn't heard anything this year. So, Grandmother wanted to bring Chen Qing along to ask, and also to help him get familiar with the area, since Chen Qing would be needed to collect them in the future.
When they arrived at the post station, they learned that the money had arrived as early as March 15th. Zhou Yuan had sent back two taels of silver, and the person who took it pressed his red handprint on it, with the name Zhou Mu written on it.
Sure enough, it wasn't that Zhou Yuan hadn't sent the money; rather, Zhou Mu had already taken it. The person who came to deliver the message was stopped by Zhou Mu at the village entrance, and then Zhou Mu went with the person to collect the money.
Seeing his grandmother's knowing look, Chen Qing knew that this had happened more than once.
"Grandmother, how many years has Zhou Yuan been gone?" Chen Qing helped him up, and the two walked slowly through the crowd.
“This is the fourth year already,” Grandmother said. “Back then, we couldn’t even afford to eat. When the conscription team came, they said they would give us twenty catties of grain if we went to the army. So A-Yuan went. He was only thirteen years old at the time.”
Chen Qing thought to himself that Zhou Yuan was only a year older than him; he was sixteen this year, and Zhou Yuan was seventeen.
Chen Qing was a little disappointed that he didn't get Zhou Yuan's money, but fortunately he had earned some money these days, enough to buy some necessities like food. He came with an empty basket, but came back with a full one, which was a bit tiring for him, but he was very happy.
When he got home, he poured the grain into the flour jar. He had originally said he wanted to buy some snacks for his grandmother, but she said it would be better to buy more grain. Chen Qing thought that made sense, so he bought more grain than originally planned, as well as a piece of pork fat.
When Chen Qing got home, he started rendering lard. The aroma made his stomach rumble. His grandmother brought back a cabbage from outside and said to Chen Qing with a smile, "Let's make cabbage and pork crackling buns today."
He nodded and agreed. His grandmother then started using the old flour to make dough. After pouring the lard into the jar, there was still a layer of oil sticking to the side of the pot. Chen Qing chopped the cabbage and stir-fried it in the oil. Then he mixed the cabbage with some pork cracklings to make a filling. He didn't use up all the pork cracklings; they were a rare treat and he wanted to save them for happy occasions.
So this bowl of filling still has mostly cabbage, but because it was stir-fried with lard, it's still very fragrant.
Once the dough had risen, the grandmother and grandson started making steamed buns. At first, Chen Qing wasn't very good at pinching the pleats of the buns, so they looked more like cornbread. His grandmother patiently taught him until he successfully pinched the first bun.
They didn't make many steamed buns. It's getting hot, and things don't keep well. If they made too many, they wouldn't be able to eat them and they would spoil.
When Chen Qing took his first bite of the steamed bun, tears welled up in his eyes. The cabbage was sweet, but it was also infused with the aroma of lard. One bite made him feel the richness of the oil.
Grandma ate a little more than usual, and she even made a cabbage soup. The meal was better than during the Lunar New Year.
After eating well, Chen Qing felt much better. The grandmother and grandson did needlework in the yard. Chen Qing embroidered while his grandmother helped him organize the threads. The two of them talked a lot about Zhou Yuan.
“He was very mischievous back then, and he was tall, so none of the kids in the village could beat him.” Grandmother said with some pride, “His parents were still alive then, and people would come to complain about him every day.”
Then an accident happened. Zhou Yuan's parents passed away. Zhou Mu was a selfish person. After his elder brother died, he refused to raise Zhou Yuan and kicked him out of the house. His grandmother couldn't bear it and said she would raise Zhou Yuan herself. Zhou Mu said she was being biased and that if she raised Zhou Yuan, he would no longer support her. He also asked his grandmother to give up the house, saying that there was not enough room for the whole family and that since it was just Zhou Yuan and his grandmother, they didn't need to live in a big house.
Chen Qing snorted, feeling that Zhou Mu's family had gone too far.
"Life went on like that. I wasn't old then. I worked and did needlework, and I raised A Yuan. Later, my health deteriorated, so A Yuan went out to earn money. He wasn't very old then either. He did all kinds of dirty and hard work, carrying loads and working as a thug for the gambling den."
"Later, I fell ill and spent all the family's savings. Just then, the imperial court came to conscript soldiers, and A-Yuan went for twenty catties of grain."
Chen Qing could imagine what happened next. How difficult it must have been for his grandmother to live alone. Perhaps Zhou Yuan sent money back in the first year, and his grandmother lived on that money for another year. But when she went to collect the money in the second year, it had already been taken by Zhou Mu.
Grandmother felt that her health was not good, so in the days leading up to Zhou Yuan's arrival of the money, she waited at the village entrance and finally received the money Zhou Yuan sent back, which was two taels of silver, before Zhou Mu did.
She used the two taels of silver and the money she had previously earned to buy Chen Qing back.
"Xiaoqing, if I die and Ayuan still hasn't come back, you must wait for him. He's a very good person." Grandmother's eyes were blurry with tears as she wiped them with the back of her hand.
Chen Qing was frightened when he heard her say these things. His grandmother was really old, and even a simple cold could put her in danger.
“Grandmother, you will be alright.” Chen Qing put down the handkerchief in his hand and moved closer to his grandmother. “Look, I embroidered a crane, which symbolizes longevity. This handkerchief is a gift for you.”
Grandmother took the handkerchief, on which the cranes were embroidered so vividly. She handed the handkerchief back to Chen Qing, saying, "Qing, this handkerchief is so well embroidered. Take it and sell it for money."
“I can still embroider, and the fabric for this handkerchief is from home; we can’t sell it,” Chen Qing said with a smile, looking down. “My skills were taught to me by my uncle.”
Grandmother still patted his hair: "Aqing is so skillful." She coughed twice, and Chen Qing quickly went to pour her some water.
Suddenly, Grandmother's cough worsened, and she had no choice but to take out the handkerchief Chen Qing had given her to wipe her mouth. When Chen Qing returned, he saw that the slightly yellowed handkerchief had some scarlet spots on it.
The bowl in Chen Qing's hand fell to the ground: "Grandma, Grandma, what happened?"
Grandmother wiped the blood from the corner of her lips: "It's nothing, I'm just getting old. Don't worry, Grandmother is fine."
Chen Qing was terribly flustered. He had been here for a year, and his grandmother had always been kind to him, the only source of warmth in his life where he had no relatives or friends.
"Pour me a bowl of water, Xiao Qing."
Chen Qing picked up the bowl. His hands were shaking as he washed the bowl, but he still poured her a bowl of water.
Lying in bed that night, Chen Qing listened to the howling wind outside the window, and the bloodstain on the handkerchief from that afternoon still kept him tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Chen Qing thought to himself, "I should still take my grandmother to see a doctor."
But they almost ran out of money yesterday, and they don't know how much it will cost to get the medicine. What will they do if they don't have enough money to get medicine for their grandmother?
Chen Qing stayed awake until dawn, and the first thing he did upon waking was to take his grandmother to town for medical treatment.
When Chen Qing shared his idea, his grandmother immediately shook her head and said she wouldn't go. But Chen Qing insisted, so the two of them went to town early in the morning. After arriving at the clinic, a doctor came to see them very quickly.
After taking her pulse, the doctor said that my grandmother had caught a cold, and because of her advanced age, the pathogenic wind had entered her body and accumulated fatigue had entered her lungs.
Chen Qing couldn't understand much of what he was saying, but he asked, "How is it? Can it be cured?"
"Then it's uncertain," the doctor said. "After all, he's quite old."
Grandmother seemed to have anticipated this situation: "Let's go, Xiaoqing, I know my own body."
Chen Qing didn't give up and asked the doctor to prescribe medicine, but the doctor said that some of the herbs were very expensive, and one dose would cost forty coins.
Yesterday's shopping had already cost them a lot of money, and Chen Qing only had enough left to buy two doses of medicine. Chen Qing turned his purse inside out, poured out the copper coins, and bought two doses of medicine for his grandmother.
In the end, only a few copper coins remained.
"Why spend that money?" Grandmother still disagreed and wanted the money back, but Chen Qing had already asked the doctor to prepare the medicine.
Throughout the journey, his grandmother was worried about the money, but Chen Qing comforted her, saying, "Grandma, I will go and earn money, so don't worry."
When Chen Qing got home, he started brewing medicine for his grandmother. Seeing how weak she looked, he didn't let her get out of bed and let her rest well in bed for the next two days.
After taking the two doses of medicine, Chen Qing's condition improved. He wanted to get more medicine, but all the money in the family was only enough to buy one more dose. His grandmother wouldn't allow him to go, saying that he was already much better.
Three days after stopping the medication, Grandma's cough became even more severe, and Chen Qing could even hear her coughing while sleeping at night.
Chen Qing couldn't sleep, so he went into his grandmother's room to stay with her. He saw the bloodstains on her handkerchief. His grandmother couldn't find the words to comfort him, so she just patted his hand.
Grandmother finally slept more peacefully in the latter half of the night, while Chen Qing stayed awake until dawn. He wanted to buy medicine for his grandmother, but he had no money. He thought about selling the grain at home, but without grain, they wouldn't survive for long.
Money, money, money—we can't live without money anywhere.
Years ago, for money, thieves killed his father; for money, his younger brother jumped into the river to end his own life; for money, Chen Qing sold himself; now his grandmother is sick, and he still has no money.
"Do I have to sell myself again?" Chen Qing thought with some frustration.
If Zhou Yuan were here, he would definitely have a solution.
Zhou Yuan... the money Zhou Yuan sent back!
Zhou Yuan's money was sent to his grandmother, and it didn't make sense for his family to use it all. This was his grandmother's life-saving money!
That afternoon, Chen Qing sat in the house for a while before finally standing up, but he didn't hear his grandmother calling him.
Chen Qing took a kitchen knife from the kitchen and headed towards Zhou Mu's house. Zhou Mu's house was not far from the village entrance, which is why they were able to get the news faster than their grandmother and take Zhou Yuan's money.
Grandmother watched Chen Qing's retreating figure, trying to catch up with him, but found herself still on the recliner, struggling to even get up. She could only watch helplessly as he left.
Chen Qing, carrying his knife, walked silently toward Zhou Mu's house. On the way, he saw a very tall man and regretted not being taller, otherwise these people would bully them like this.
They soon arrived at Zhou Mu's house. His house was large, with walls made of blue bricks. It was clear that his life was not as difficult as he claimed. Even so, he still wanted to come to their house on New Year's Eve to steal their few pieces of salted meat and his grandmother's life-saving money.
Zhou Mu had just come out when he saw Chen Qing standing at his door: "What are you doing here!"
Chen Qing clenched his index finger tightly: "I want money."
He spoke softly, but realizing what he was about to do, Chen Qing said loudly, "I'm here for money! You took the money my husband sent to me and my grandmother. My grandmother is sick, and I need money for her medical treatment."
He suddenly raised his voice very high, and since the houses on this side were very close together, many family members poked their heads out.
"What did you say!" Zhou Mu didn't expect him to be so loud, and wanted to rush up and slap him twice, but unexpectedly Chen Qing took out a kitchen knife from his sleeve.
"Give us back the money my husband gave to my grandmother!" Chen Qing's voice was loud, his tone trembling at the end. "Grandmother needs to take her medicine, and I want the money my husband gave her!"
Chen Qing brandished the knife a couple of times, and Zhou Mu, looking at his thin frame, sneered, "Who do you think you are, asking me for money!"
He reached out and snatched the knife from Chen Qing's hand, then kicked Chen Qing in the shin: "Get out of here right now."
Chen Qing collapsed to the ground, feeling everyone around him staring. The few words he had just shouted had exhausted all his strength, and his eyes were red. But thinking of his grandmother, he stood up and walked to Zhou Mu's side: "Give me back my money!"
Enraged, Zhou Mu kicked Chen Qing again. The kick was powerful, and Chen Qing staggered back a few steps. He thought he was going to fall to the ground, but a broad chest caught him from behind.
Chen Qing looked up, but the person behind him was too tall, and the sunlight fell on his face, so he could only see his chin.
He put one arm around Chen Qing's waist, and with the other hand he reached for the knife on his back: "Second Uncle, it's been a long time. Are you at ease spending the money I earned by risking my life?"
A note from the author:
Zhou Yuan: Making a dazzling entrance!
P.S.: This storyline doesn't involve love at first sight; it's about love that grows over time. You can treat this side story as a new narrative. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it too.
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